Apply For The 5th Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award

Applications are now open for the 5th cycle of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award, the prestigious biennial programme that seeks scalable water sustainability solutions from innovators, researchers, companies, and institutions worldwide. The award offers a total prize pool of USD 1 million and is administered by the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia UAE) under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives.

The award is designed to accelerate practical and renewable energy-driven solutions addressing water production, purification, distribution, desalination, storage, and emergency water access, with the goal of helping communities facing water challenges.

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Who Can Apply and What the Award Seeks

Applications are open to a broad range of applicants, including:

Innovators and entrepreneurs with scalable technologies
Universities and research institutions
Non-governmental and private sector organisations
Individuals with demonstrable contributions to water technology

Projects must demonstrate innovation, commercial potential, and sustainability, with preference for solutions that incorporate renewable energy sources and offer tangible benefits for communities dealing with water scarcity.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Suqia UAE, emphasised the importance of the award in driving global water innovation, noting its role in motivating researchers, institutions, and innovators to address one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. According to United Nations data, about 2.2 billion people worldwide lack access to safely managed drinking water, and nearly 10 percent of the global population lives in regions under high water stress.

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Award Categories and Prize Structure

The total USD 1 million prize pool is distributed across four main award categories:

Innovative Projects Award – Recognises impactful technologies, with separate honours for Large Projects and Small Projects.
Innovative Research and Development Award – Open to both National and International Institutions, focusing on research that advances water sustainability.
Innovative Individual Award – Includes the Distinguished Researcher Award and the Youth Award, celebrating both lifetime contributions and promising early-career innovators.
Innovative Crisis Solutions Award – Highlights solutions designed for rapid deployment in emergency or disaster contexts, such as systems capable of supplying potable water during humanitarian crises.

While the specific prize amounts in each category are administered by the foundation, previous cycles of the award have allocated significant shares of the $1 million pool across categories to maximise incentives for both technological maturity and societal impact.

Global Impact and Legacy

Since its launch, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award has grown into one of the world’s foremost platforms for water innovation. In previous cycles, the programme received submissions from dozens of countries and recognised dozens of winners whose technologies range from solar-powered desalination systems to pioneering purification solutions.

Suqia UAE’s broader humanitarian work, which includes delivering clean water to millions across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East through development and crisis response projects, reinforces the strategic role the award plays in fostering global water security.

In announcing the opening of the 5th cycle, Suqia leaders highlighted the urgent need for innovative approaches as water demand intensifies globally and renewable energy technologies become integral to sustainable infrastructure solutions.

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How to Apply

Interested participants can submit applications through the official award portal . All submissions must be completed by 30 April 2026, with enquiries directed to [email protected].

The application process typically requires detailed technical descriptions, evidence of feasibility or field readiness, and documentation demonstrating how the proposed solution improves water access or sustainability outcomes. Past cycles also evaluated environmental impact, renewable energy integration, and adaptability to local conditions.